Activities for a Social Skills Summer Camp

 If you are considering - or have organised a special needs/social skills group summer camp,well done to get this far!
Our group has been running for over a year now, each six weeks we have a new programme of activites. If  you are looking for some ideas about what to include in your summer camp, please feel free to use some of our plans:

Hometrain Social Skills Group

Summer Camp Programme of Activities:

Monday 1st – ‘Making New Friends’ Circle time: Greetings and This is me: ‘My name is …..’ and ‘I am……’- adding new lines each day. Group Games: Indoor and outdoor games and activities Language: Listening and social skills games Arts and Crafts: Puppet making Drama: Learning a poem Goodbyes.

Tuesday 2nd – ‘Together is Better’ Circle time: Greetings and This is me. Group Games: Indoor and outdoor games and activities Language: Making sounds, listening and social skills games Arts and Crafts: Painting Drama: Making up our story, pretend play. Goodbyes.

Wednesday 3^rd – ‘What Do You like?’

Circle time: Greetings and This is me.

Group Games: Indoor and outdoor games and activities

Language: Talking about our friends

Arts and Crafts: Picture frames

Drama: Music and singing

Goodbyes.

Thursday 4th –     ‘How are you?’ Circle time: Greetings and This is me. Group Games: Indoor and outdoor games and activities Language: Expressing / understanding own and each other’s feelings Arts and Crafts: Drawing and colouring Drama: Dressing-up, practising for our show Goodbyes.     Friday 5th – ‘This is Me’ Circle time: Greetings and This is me. Group Games: Cooking, indoor and outdoor games Language: Our poems and songs Our end of week Show: ‘This is Me’ The end of the week show is open to parents, and the theme 'This is Me' will be the same for both groups 4-7's and 8-12's.

The puppets we make on day one are simple puppets of ourselves, and the painting activity is a group painting on newsprint (the big wide roll of newspaper printing paper) which will be the backdrop of the show on Friday. The picture frames we make will be displayed at the show and to be taken home along with the puppets.
The poems are simple and can be taught either by each child having a line, and for non-verbal kids, have their line written on a sign or board.
The poem I chose for the younger group is 'Stripey Tiger' by Daffy Lister, each child will have a short line from this.
The songs we sing in greetings and goodbye will be part of the show too.

Don't be put off by the idea of a show. It can be done on a small budget, and I think the best part is you have fun and a real focus for the week. Be sure to delegate jobs to your staff members. Be sure the show is about the kids, and the parents will love it.
The families will also see how much work you have done with their kids, and not simply 'entertained ' them for a week.

If you can get permissions, film the show for parents to buy a copy for extra fundraising!
If anyone would like copies of our songs and poems, you can e-mail me at: info@hometrain.ie

Claire.

The Benefits of Home Tuition

When I started writing Learning Together, I wanted to answer the request from a Dad who's son I had just begun working with.
It was simply this : "Tell us what to do and we'll do it"
So I said "o.k."
Over the years as a tutor, I found one factor to be the most important in each child's learning, and certainly the back bone of a successful home tuition year - I know it's obvious, but it's the parents.
It's not easy when you're faced with learning how to teach your child skills that other kids learn naturally, but the parents who take a proactive approach to their child's education that make the biggest difference to a child's life.
It's these parents, who when faced with their diagnosis, make a decision not to lower the bar for the expectations of their child, but to push the bar up, aiming a little higher.
Of course it would be great if 'by the power of A.B.A.' we tutors could target all behaviours, skills and communication difficulties! When a home tuition programme for a child involves parents on  a day-to-day basis, it is effective. The worst mistake parents make is: handing over your child to be fixed - without realising they are the key to successful home tuition programme.

Any parents filling in the form for home tuition this year - go for it! Roll up your sleeves, take part in the writing of the programme with your tutor, believe in your abilities and ask other's for help if you need it.
It'll be the best early intervention your child can get. Why? because a tutor is there 10-20 hours a week, you as the parent are 24-7. When you adopt new skills at home and fit them into your everyday parenting you really get the best out of your home tuition. Effective strategies for functional communication are part of a home tutor's remit - use their skills and expertise to gain knowledge for yourself.

Here is some advice for working with your home tutor:

1. Take an active role in writing your child's programme with your tutor.
2. Be clear about the support you need with your child's behaviour.
3. Keep the door of the teaching room/area open so you can over-hear the tuition. 
4. Take part in some aspects of tuition if possible i.e. looking at their work and adding gold stars, giving praise when they achieve a new skill.
5. Keep the items for home tuition in a locked cupboard - especially day-to-day reinforcing items your tutor uses. Don't allow your child 'free reign' of the cupboard after your tutor has gone home.
6. Try to avoid multiple interruptions/distractions to tuition.
7. Keep a folder of your child's work - having them bound at the end of each term/year is a great way of keeping a record of their achievments.
8. Learn as much as you can from your tutor - you have a great opportunity for free education and most tutors will be only delighted that you are willing to learn.
9. This may sound odd at first, but write it down. Keeping a record of your teaching will help you to formulate new ideas and a way to remember all the things you think of and forget! In Learning Together there is a diary page for each week which asks you to write what went well, what didn't and ideas for next time.
10. Communicate all your ideas, concerns and observations to your tutor - it's the small things that can make a difference.

If you are not in receipt of a home tuition grant, and want to teach your child essential, early interevention skills at home, you can learn how to teach with 'Learning Together'.
It's a course which tells you week-by-week what to teach, and how. It also includes pull-out resources to use. These build up to over 300 re-useable resources throughout the course.
There is tonnes of teaching advice, and online and phone support for anyone using the course.

The webpage for Learning Together has all the information you need:
http://www.hometrain.ie/lessons/

 Learning Together

Special Needs Kids and Haircuts!!!!

Special Needs Kids and Haircuts - Now there's two concepts that do not go well together, and can make even the hardiest of parents shudder!

With the children in our social skills group, and throughout my time as a home tutor, haircutting is a HUGE sensory issue across the board. Many children report being able to feel pain during hair cuts. 

I think most families I know have tried many ways to assist their children getting the dreaded haircut, including: While the child is asleep, in the bath, holding them on a chair (2-3 people holding them), wrapped in a towel, using lots of bribes, having a bath ready and letting it grow. Scissors, clippers - you name it, you've tried it all!                                                                                                         At the hairdressers it's a sensory overload - there are strong smells, and the buzzing sound of clippers and hairdryers can be enough to prevent your child even going near to the chair! However, if you can find a hairdresser that will let you take your child to visit, watch what is happening and hold the equipment, it might be useful.                     Here are some other ideas that might help:                                               

1. Find a hairdressers that’s more child-friendly and doesn’t stink of chemicals.
2. Bring a clean T-shirt to change into straight away
3. Bring an MP3 player, portable DVD player to help distract them
4. Use a weighted vest or lap-pad to help calm them
5. Refer to it as a hair trim instead of cut
6. Use reinforcers to encourage them
7. Give choices of clippers or scissors
8. Have a drink nearby in case they need a break
9. Offer a visit to the shop or park afterwards
10. Play at home with a vibrating toothbrush or clippers

I am hoping to set up a hairdressing play clinic in Meath, and would welcome any ideas people have!
Ideas from parents are welcome!

Claire.

 

                      

Early Intervention for Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

Today I was delighted to be invited to the launch of the second report of Unicef's research project 'Changing the Future - Experiencing Adolescence in Contemporary Ireland' which is titled 'Mental Health'

The young people invloved in the research and the launch at The Base in Ballyfermot spoke about mental health issues with remarkable ease, intelligence and confidence which really highlights the work that Unicef has done in their community at The Base. The presentation highlighted the experiences of young people and the serious challenges they face, many of which are without help.

How would the same research find young people with learning difficulties? As they often have been monitored throughout their lives by the Enable Ireland and then the HSE, are young people that have learning difficulties who then experience additional problems with their mental health adressed differently? Are their difficulties highlighted earlier?  Would their mental health difficulty always be associated with their diagnosis?
This is assuming that the young person with learning difficulties can express their feelings, and discuss verbally how they perceive their lives and mental health.....

Is was evidant today that although young people are at high risk of developing problems with their mental health, they are becoming a generation of change. Change in our attitude towards mental health problems - Change in how young people approach issues that affect them - Change in openness.

When I'm talking about behaviour management and communication skills with young children, I often ask parents to visualise their 5 year old child at the age of 16, illustrating the way in which we parent and teach our young children now, can give them skills to cope as young adults.
So I'm seeing the value in the work we do with young children who have learning difficulties now - as a contribution towards their coping skills later on in life.

Making a programme such as 'How Are You?' acccessible now to young children through schools, we are sowing the seeds for a positive future for children with learning difficulties - offering opportunities to learn how to express emotions, identify teasing and bullying, learn about their bodies and cope with anger. We will hopefully ensure that young children with special needs grow up knowing how to voice their feelings and identify problems.

'How Are You?' is a CD-ROM for children aged 4 years upwards. It identifies: Feelings, Our Bodies, Social Scenarios, Anger, Pain and has video explanations as well as games to play. The programme comes complete with printable resources. The link is: http://www.hometrain.ie/howareyou/


Today I gave the 'How Are You?' programme to the Minister for Children, Francis Fitzgerald, let's hope we'll see it used throughout schools in Ireland.

Well done Unicef and the young people of Ballyfermot on a great day today!



Claire.